Nico Yennaris is looking forward to crossing paths with Paul Williams when Brentford meet Nottingham Forest after the international break.

Williams joined the Bees background staff as logistics manager in July 2015 before becoming Lee Carsley’s number two after the sacking of Marinus Dijkhuizen.

He was then appointed as first team coach at Forest on December 17 and then took over as caretaker manager when Dougie Freedman was sacked on March 13.

With Carsley and Williams at the helm, Yennaris was transformed from a player whose future looked to lie away from Griffin Park to signing a new three-year contract after becoming a regular first-team player.

Moving on: New Nottingham Forest caretaker manager Paul William

And Yennaris spoke fondly of the 44-year-old, but insisted that when they faced one another again Williams will be an opponent.

He said: “I have a lot of respect for Paul and have a good relationship with him.

“He helped me a lot during his time here and he pushed me a lot while I was playing and I have great respect for him.

“He was a coach at Southampton so we knew he had it in him and I think he’s just stayed in football and his chance has come and he's taken it.”

“At the end of the day he’s going to be an opponent and he’s not on my side anymore so I’ll be looking to win.”

The right back also believes that both himself and his team mates can use the international break to recharge the batteries and let things settle down before the final run-in.

He added: “It's been a tough few weeks and we all need to keep sticking together.

“Maybe this break is what we need to let everything settle down and take our mind off things and recharge and go again.

“We have one final big push and it's going to be a tough, tough month but we need to put things right.”